Circuitry system



Nov. 4, 1969 J. DE ROBERTIS 3,476,983

CIRCUITRY SYSTEM Filed Dec, 20, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet a JOSEPH DE ROBERTIS INVENTOR.

JOHN P. CHANDLER HIS ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,476,983 CIRCUITRY SYSTEM Joseph De Robertis, Yorktown Heights, N.Y., assignor to Sealectro Corporation, Mamaroneck, N.Y., a corporation of New York Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 544,564,

Apr. 22, 1966. This application Dec. 20, 1967, Ser.

Int. Cl. H02]: 1/04 US. Cl. 317-101 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A circuit selector including a pair of spaced printed circuit cards having spaced horizontal and vertical contact strips and mounted for movement towards each other, and a programming board with contact pins to be slid between the cards and contact two of said strips at their ends, upper and lower rollers journalled on vertical axes at the leading and at the trailing edges of said board to effect separation of the cards during entry of the board.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 544,564, filed Apr. 22, 1966, now Patent No. 3,373,319, issued on Mar. 12, 1968.

This invention relates to circuitry systems and selectors and has for its principal object the provision of an apparatus for selectively connecting one or more circuits of a given series of electrical circuits with one or more circuits of another series of circuits. In my co-pending application, I disclosed an electrical control system employing a pair of spaced conductor cards slidably mounted in fixed relation in a pair of opposed spaced slots in a frame and having on adjoining faces parallel contact strips, those on one card being disposed at right angles to those on the adjacent card, and a programming board or block with one or more through conductor pins whose terminals contact one strip on each card. As the connector board is slid into place, the pin or pins traverses all or some of the contact strips on the adjoining cards and establishes a circuit each time this occurs. This is objectionable since in most instances the contact strips are energized and establishing these unwanted circuits may cause trouble.

In accordance with the present invention, the contact strips of each card are spring mounted and are urged towards each other. There is always, however, a minimum of separation between the cards and as the connector board is moved inwardly pairs of rollers on the board cam the cards further apart so that no circuits are established. By providing the two pairs of rollers, one near the leading edge of the connector board and another pair about intermediate between the first pair and the trailing end of the board, the two cards are separated substantially evenly. At the very end of the inward journey, the leading rollers having passed the cards and the trailing rollers fall into slots, thus freeing the cards for inward travel and establish the desired circuit:

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a circuit selector embodying the present invention and showing one of the programming blocks having the contactor pins in preselected holes therein partially inserted into the housing;

FIG. 2 is a broken front elevation thereof;

FIG. 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4 is a section taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a broken section taken through one of the modules;

FIG. 6 is front elevation of a programming block;

FIG. 7 is a top view thereof;

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FIG. 8 shows the positions of the programming block during movement into the housing.

The circuit selector ofthe present invention includes a plurality of modules, each comprising a printed circuit card 10 with spaced horizontal contact strips 11 printed, etched thereon or separately applied thereto, a similar card 12 with the strips 13 extending vertically. These cards are positioned within a frame which may be in the form of a housing 14 having pairs of spaced vertical walls 16 and 18 which support the cards. Each pair of cards are spring urged toward each other. Between each pair of cards is a programming board 19 which is horizontally slidable into the housing and having openings 20 symmetrically arranged in vertical and horizontal rows so that a contact pin 21 placed in any one of the holes will engage a horizontal and a vertical contact strip. The pins are held in place by any suitable means such as collars 22 engaging opposed sides of the card and having an interference fit with the pin.

Each card is supported by upper and lower retainer rails 24, each pair of which forms a frame for the card. Each rail has a longitudinal slot 26 for receiving the upper and lower edge of the card, which may be cemented therein. The inner end of each slot stop short of the end of the rail and the forward end is closed by a plate 27. Pins 28 with heads 29 are secured to walls 16 and 18 by screws 30. The frame formed by the pair of retainer rails 24 is mounted for sliding movement on the pins, the frame rails having horizontal holes 31 for the pins and counterbores 32 for the heads which limit inward movement of the cards and frame. The free ends of the counterbores are closed by discs or plugs 34 cemented or otherwise secured in place.

The programming board 19 has handle 35 and a horizontal rib or guide track 36 along its upper and lower edge. The ribs are received in slots 38 in the upper and lower walls of the housing 14. Coiled springs 39 carried concentrically of each pin 28, move the cards inwardly towards each other as shown in FIG. 8. Flat or leaf springs could be used in place of the coiled springs.

As the programming board is moved inwardly to its home position, the cards are cammed outwardly by a pair of inner rollers 40 and outer rollers 41 mounted for rotation on headed bearing screws 42. This prevents the pins 21 from contacting strips 11 or 13 until the block is all the way home. The roller along the inner edges of block 19 are mounted along the horizontal edges of relatively deep slots 44 in the block while the outer rollers are mounted in more shallow slots 46-.

The progressive movement of the block into the frame is shown in FIG. 1. At position A, the opposed circuit cards are at their minimum spacing in which position the heads 29 of the pins 28 engage the shoulders formed by the counterbores. The leading rollers 40 at the inner end of each board first contact the frames 24, spreading them apart. When the programming board is part way in, the frame is contacted by the trailing rollers 41 (position B) and inward movement continues until trailing rollers 41 drop into slots 48 (position C) along the upper and lower, inner edges of the frame. At this time, the forward rollers have travelled beyond the inner ends of the frame and the slots 48 are deep enough so that when the trailing rollers are in the slots the frames are free to travel their maximum distance inwardly. At this time, the contact strips 11 and 13 contact the ends of the conductive pins and establish the circuits. This inward movement of the block is limited by rear wall 50 of the housi'n g. This wall may have openings 51 for the connecting Wires.

By referring to FIG. 4, it will be seen that all the contact strips 11 are joined by a connector 54 and wires 56 are secured thereto.

While there have been described herein what are at present considered preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention. It is therefore to be understood that the exemplary embodiments are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A circuit selector provided with a housing, including upper and lower walls and spaced vertical walls, said selector including a pairof spaced printed circuit cards having spac'ed'horizontal and vertical contact strips, respectively, along adjoining faces and extending the full length thereof, means extending from the vertical walls supporting the cards for movement towards each other, and springs urging said movement, and a programming board supported for sliding movement into the housing to a fixed position and having a pattern of holes in horizontal and vertical rows aligned with said contact strips, and contact pins in selected holes and contacting two of said strips at their ends, and rollers journaled on vertical axes on said board to elfect temporary separation of the cards during entry of the board.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein each card is supported by upper and lower frames having slots to receive the upper and lower edge of each card in secured relation.

3. The structure recited in claim 2 wherein the supporting means for the cards pass into the frames.

4. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein rollers are provided at the leading edge of the board and trailing rollers intermediate its ends,the frames having slots into which the trailing rollers may fall, the parts being so proportional that the leading rollers have passed beyond the frame and the trailing rollers have entered the slots when the board is in home position, thus freeing the cards and frames for inward travel to contact with the pins.

5. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the rollers have a diameter less than the minimum spacing between the card frames.

6. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the housing has opposed slots to receive the board.

7. The structure recitedin claim -2 wherein the leading rollers are on a plane different from the plane of the corresponding trailing rollers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,098,177 7/1963 Bleier et al. 317-101 3,200,297 8/1965 Gibson 317-101 3,349,288 10/1967 Lohs et al. 317-101 3,373,319 3/1968 De Robertis 317-101 MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner P. A. CLIFFORD, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

